I bake, therefore I am

Are you ready for a Parr-ty?!

I hope you guys enjoy these puns, I wouldn’t like to admit how long they take me to come up with them. I cannot believe that we are coming to the end of April, this year is speeding by and we have been in our new home for 2 months now. In those two months I’ve taken 8 cake orders for family and friends and still managed to paint the living room and the kitchen, not bad round my 9-5.

This golf themed cake was a request that was absolutely loved by the birthday boy! This cake had some ups and downs, like most, but I particularly enjoyed spending my bank holiday creating this cake. Now spending your bank holiday inside baking, covering and modelling might sound like a chore to some, but to have an entire day to focus on something that I love, I couldn’t ask for more. Plus there was a Muppet movie marathon on the TV, perfect combination.

My usual chocolate cake was requested, a firm favourite with my family and friends. Covered in an Italian meringue buttercream, my favourite, none of that ache in your face from too much sugar with this buttercream! I did face some issues when covering this beauty. It seems that not all fondant is created equally! My favourite fondant to use is Massa Ticino, no rips, no tears, but quite pricey. I decided to make a change and try Satin Ice. I’d read some good things and thought it might be a cheaper alternative (just). I bought a 5kg tub, with all the baking it made sense at the time, but if I’m honest it’s a decision I regret. I like the more expensive sugar pastes as you don’t get the sugary face pains and even those who don’t like fondant will eat a bit, and Satin Ice definitely ticked that box. However, its usability just didn’t live up to that of the Massa Ticino. I have a massive hate of elephant skin on cake and the way the fondant had already begun to harden before I’d had a chance to smooth it out.

I could hide most of the imperfections, you learn that skill quite quickly when you start making cakes, god forbid anyone wanted a plain cake! I’ll have to keep practising. The decorations on this cake make all the difference. The sand banks are made from crushed digestive biscuits, stuck down with some edible glue to add a bit of texture to the flat fondant. The grass was made using a clay extruder that I bought on Amazon (I LOVE prime delivery, of course I need that cake tool next day!) Using the attachment with all the little holes I was able to create the tall grass, which I am sure is a golfers worst nightmare.

When making the golf clubs I used cocktail sticks. Using silver food colour powder mixed with a bit of vodka to make a paint, then adding grey fondant rounds to the end. For the clubs in the golf bag I just poked these straight in once the bag had been added to the cake. The stray golf club on the green has a black grip added to the end to surround the rest of the cocktail stick.

The flag number shows the age of the birthday boy and has been added to a plastic lollipop stick. I’d run out of white ones so unfortunately a blue one had to suffice. I like to try to add a little something to the bottom of the cake around the board to tie it all in together, another bunker and some more long grass keeps in with the golf theme. To finish the cake off there are many golf balls strewn across the cake, I didn’t ask if this was a reflection of the birthday boys golfing skills when making the cake…

I enjoyed making this cake an all the different elements that went into making it. I love getting to the point when you look and know that you’ve done enough. I don’t like the bit after when I look at my dining room table and see how much mess I’ve made. How J lives with me I will never know, I think it’s all the cake off cuts that keeps him sweet!

I’ve got 4 more cake orders for the next two weeks, so I will leave you lusting after my delicious golf cake and I will update you with some more cake soon.

Do you have a favourite fondant that doesn’t leave you pulling your hair out?